OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the perceptual structure and acoustic characteristics of speech of patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) in Mandarin. STUDY DESIGN: Case-Control Study MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the estimation of dysphonia level, perceptual and acoustic analysis were used for patients with ADSD (N = 20) and the control group (N = 20) that are Mandarin-Chinese speakers. For both subgroups, a sustained vowel and connected speech samples were obtained...

Importance: The relative outcomes of onabotulinum toxin A injections for treatment of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD), ADSD with lateral laryngeal tremor (ADSD+LT), and lateral LT without ADSD are unclear. Objective: To compare the outcomes of onabotulinum toxin A treatment on ADSD, ADSD+LT, and lateral LT without ADSD. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 1, 1990, to September 30, 2016, at a tertiary referral voice center...

OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of this study were to (1) examine intrarater and inter-rater reliabilities in perceptual ratings of vocal fold vibratory patterns and supraglottic characteristics for essential vocal tremor and adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) using high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV), and (2) to investigate the specificity of the parameters in differentiating these two voice disorders. METHODS: HSV recordings of 34 cases diagnosed with essential vocal tremor, AdSD, or AdSD with vocal tremor were evaluated blindly by two voice speech pathologists...

Objectives: Adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) is a focal dystonia predominantly involving the laryngeal adductor muscles. AdSD is reported to be a largely non-progressive neurological disorder, though fluctuations in symptom severity do occur. Repeated laryngeal onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX-A) injections are the primary management for AdSD. A number of studies have demonstrated long-term dose stability as evidence of this long-term disease stability. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on all patients undergoing BTX-A injections for AdSD from April 1994 to September 2013 by a single laryngologist at a tertiary referral laryngology center...

INTRODUCTION: Abductor spasmodic dysphonia, a difficult-to-treat laryngologic condition, is characterized by spasms causing the vocal folds to remain abducted despite efforts to adduct them during phonation. Traditional treatment for abductor spasmodic dysphonia-botulinum toxin injection into the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle-can be both technically challenging and uncomfortable. Due to the difficulty of needle placement, it is often unsuccessful. The purpose of this investigation is to present a previously undescribed treatment for abductor spasmodic dysphonia-bilateral vocal fold medialization...

Spasmodic dysphonia (SD), or laryngeal dystonia, is an isolated task-specific dystonia of unknown causes and pathophysiology that selectively affects speech production. Using next-generation whole-exome sequencing in SD patients, we computed polygenic risk score from 1804 genetic markers based on a genome-wide association study in another form of similar task-specific focal dystonia, musician's dystonia. We further examined the associations between the polygenic risk score, resting-state functional connectivity abnormalities within the sensorimotor network, and SD clinical characteristics...

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) has existed for thousands of years; however, it was not medically utilized until investigations into its therapeutic use began in sincerity during the late 1970s and 1980s. This, coupled with the reclassification of spasmodic dysphonia as a focal dystonia, led to the use of chemodenervation for this disorder, which has since become a refined technique. Indeed, due to its safety and efficacy, BoNT has been investigated in multiple neurolaryngology disorders, including spasmodic dysphonia, vocal tremor, and muscle tension dysphonia...

BACKGROUND: Hyperkinetic dysarthria is characterized by abnormal involuntary movements affecting respiratory, phonatory, and articulatory structures impacting speech and deglutition. Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play an important role in the evaluation and management of dysarthria and dysphagia. This review describes the standard clinical evaluation and treatment approaches by SLPs for addressing impaired speech and deglutition in specific hyperkinetic dysarthria populations. METHODS: A literature review was conducted using the data sources of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Voice disorders have been shown to impair workplace productivity primarily by reduced efficiency while at work (presenteeism) versus increased days missed (absenteeism). Work productivity measures such as the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) Questionnaire or the World Health Organization Health - Work Performance Questionnaire (HPQ) can be customized to a specific disease but do not fully capture impaired work productivity associated with voice disorders...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate speech in patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) by perceptual evaluations and acoustic measures, and to examine the reliability and validity of these measures. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with ADSD and 24 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Speech materials consisted of three sentences constructed from serial voiced syllables to elicit abductor voice breaks. Three otolaryngologists rated the degree of voice symptoms using a visual analog scale (VAS)...

OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the clinical anatomy of the anterior commissure and examined the effectiveness of a specialized spreader developed for optimal, efficient spreading of the thyroid cartilage in type II thyroplasty. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The present study was a multicenter retrospective study of patients with spasmodic dysphonia who underwent a primary operation either before or after the introduction of a specialized spreader (in 2008 or 2014, respectively)...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the presentation of pharyngeal dystonia (PD), which can occur as a focal or segmental dystonia with a primarily pharyngeal involvement for the discussion of treatment methods for controlling consequent symptoms. PD is specific to speech-related tasks. METHODS: A retrospective medical record review of four patients with PD was performed. RESULTS: All patients were initially misdiagnosed with adductor spasmodic dysphonia and failed standard treatment with botulinum toxin type A (BTX)...

OBJECTIVE: Our ability to speak is complex, and the role of the central nervous system in controlling speech production is often overlooked in the field of otolaryngology. In this brief review, we present an integrated overview of speech production with a focus on the role of central nervous system. The role of central control of voice production is then further discussed in relation to the potential pathophysiology of spasmodic dysphonia (SD). DATA SOURCES: Peer-review articles on central laryngeal control and SD were identified from PUBMED search...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of symptom severity and disclosure of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) on the perceptions of human resource personnel members (HRPs) during a simulated phone interview. Method: One female speaker with ADSD was recorded reading an interview script at two time points: (a) pre-BOTOX injection (severe), and (b) post-BOTOX injection (mild). Thirty-two HRPs evaluated the recording in one of the two conditions via a qualitative structured interview...